Orthodontic lock pin



May 27, 1969 P. c. KESLING ORTHODONTIC LOCK PIN Filed Jan. 10, 1968'INVENTOR PETER C. KESLING BY ,MmJ

AT TO R NEYS United States Patent 3,445,933 ORTHODONTIC LOCK PIN PeterC. Kesling, Green Acres, La Porte, Ind. 46350 Filed Jan. 10, 1968, Ser.No. 696,881 Int. Cl. A61c 7/00 US. Cl. 3214 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An orthodontic lock pin for use with a bracket mounted on aband to lock an arch wire to a tooth, wherein the lock pin includes aknife-edge facing the wire to facilitate tipping of the tooth duringorthodontic treatment without interfering in any way with the desiredfunction of the bracket.

This invention relates in general to a lock pin for use with orthodonticbrackets to lock an arch wire thereto, and more particularly to a lockpin having a knife-edge coacting with the arch wire to facilitatetipping of a tooth.

The face of the head of lock pins heretofore known was flat and wouldextend normal to the gingival-occlnsal axis of the bracket. Because ofthis flat face which faces the arch wire, tipping of the tooth andbracket relative to the arch wire is inhibited, when the arch wire abutsagainst this face. With this configuration, it is necessary to constructthe pin with the smallest possible thickness, and likewise construct thebracket for the pin of lighter material in order to'obtain even the bestpossible tipping conditions.

The lock pin of the present invention overcomes the difliculties abovereferred to relative to the prior art by providing a knife-edge on theface of the pin head that faces the arch wire to facilitate tippingaction between the arch wire and bracket. With the present invention, itis possible to increase the width of the pin and construct the bracketof heavier material. Further, it is possible to construct the arch wirereceiving slot of lesser depth to even further strengthen the bracket.Inasmuch as it is well known that brackets and pins receive theirgreatest fear at the occlusal end and normally fail there, the lock pinof the present invention will enable heavy ddty construction of the pinand the corresponding bracket to provide longer wearing appliances.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved lockpin for use with orthodontic brackets.

Another object of this invention is in the provision of a new andimproved lock pin that is constructed to facilitate tipping of teeth,and which can be made stronger and of heavier duty construction toprovide longer life.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a lockpin having a knife-edge face on the head to coact with the arch wire andfacilitate tipping of the teeth.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying sheet of drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer tolike parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of an arch of a person, illustrating aplurality of teeth having appliance mounted thereon that include thelock pin of the present invention, and also showing the association withan arch wire;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective View, partially fragmentary, of abracket and the lock pin of the present invention;

. 3,445,933 Patented May 27, 1969 FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view ofthe lock pin according to the present invention and shown in position ona bracket, and taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 1, butillustrating the pin as inserted prior to bending the tail over thebracket;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the lock pin according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the lock pin of FIG. 4 looking atthe knife-edge end;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the embodiment ofFIG. 4 in connection with an arch wire;

FIG. '8 is a fragmentary front elevational view similar to FIG. 5, butillustrating another embodiment of the invention, wherein the knife-edgeis along one edge of the pin; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating another embodimentwherein the knife-edge is located adjacent the other edge of the pin.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, a pluralityof teeth 10 are illustrated with bands 11 suitably secured thereto suchas by cementing. A lock pin and bracket appliance 12 is suitably securedto each of the bands, such as by soldering or welding, wherein the pinsare mounted on the brackets to lock the arch wire 13 in place. The pinand bracket appliance 12 includes a bracket 14 and a pin 15 according tothe present invention.

The bracket 14 may be of any suitable type that would receive a pinaccording to the present invention, and the con-figuration illustratedis only exemplary of one type that may be employed, and which wouldinclude a body 16 with mesial and distal extending cars 17 that serve toattach the bracket to a tooth band. The attaching cars 17 would laysubstantially flat or flush against the tooth band and be suitablysoldered or welded in order to anchor the bracket to the band. The body16 includes substantially buccal-lingually extending side walls 18 and19 interconnected at their buccal ends by a mesial-distally extendingwall 20. The walls form a gingival-occlnsal extending opening 21 that isadapted to receive a lock pin such as the lock pin 15 according to thepresent invention. A notch is formed in the body at the gingival andlingual corner to define a slot 22 to receive the arch wire. The ears 17are connected to the lingual ends of the body side walls 18 and 19.Usually, the gingivally-lingually extending opening 21 is of asubstantially rectangular cross section, as in the cross section of thepin to preclude relative rotation between the pin and bracket when thepin is in operative position.

As already explained, the use of the pin according to the presentinvention enables heavier construction of the bracket to provide longerwear. In this regard, the walls of the body may be made of heavier gaugemetal together with the attaching ears. Further, the arch wire receivingslot 22 need not be as deep with the lock pin of the present invention,thereby reducing the tendency to weaken the bracket as would be the casewhere a slot of greater depth is needed. By making the walls of heaviermaterial, the occlusal end of the bracket will withstand greater wearand minimize the necessity of having to replace the bracket duringtreatment of a patient. Further, a wider pin may be provided, the tailend of which normally being at the occlnsal end can withstand longerwear.

The lock pin 15 of the present invention and as shown in the embodimentof FIGS. l-6 includes an elongated, rectangular in cross section, shank24, and an enlarged head 25 at one end.

A wire retaining portion 28 of the head extends lingually of the shank24 and terminates in a nose 29. When the pin is assembled with thebracket, the nose 29 will extend to the band 11 and close the gingivalend of the slot 22 to'lock the arch wire 13 therein as seen in FIG. 3.

In order to facilitate tipping of the tooth relative to the wire, thegingival face of the wire retaining portion 28 is provided with aknife-edge portion 30 that is centrally located between the oppositeside 25a and 25b of the pin head 25. Thus, the knife-edge portion isdefined by inclined faces 30a and 30b which readily permit tipping ofthe tooth, upon which the pin and bracket appliance is mounted, ineither direction relative to the arch wire 13 which engages theknife-edge portion 30 centrally of the pin. As seen in FIG. 7, the lockpin 15 permits freedom of movement of the wire relative to the bracketenabling tipping action.

The pin 15A of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 differs from the pin 15shown in FIGS. 16 only in that the knife-edge portion 31 is positionedalong the side 25a of the pin head 25, and provided with only a singleinclined surface 31a. This embodiment would permit greater tipping inthe direction of the arrow 32, rather than an equal amount in bothdirections as in the embodiment of FIGS. l-7.

Similarly, the pin 15B in the embodiment of FIG. 9 differs only in thatthe knife-edge portion 33 is located at the side 25b of the pin head 25to permit tipping in the opposite direction from that of the embodimentof FIG. 8 and as shown by the arrow 34. Otherwise, the embodiments ofFIGS. 8 and 9 also operate the same as the embodiment of FIGS. 17.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. An orthodontic lock pin comprising a shank for insertion in anocclusal-gingivally extending opening in a bracket having a mesialdistally extending wire receiving notch, a head at one end of the shank,said head including a shoulder extending lingually from the shank tocoact with said notch and lock the wire into said notch and to saidbracket, said shoulder having a buccallingually extending knife-edgefacing the wire to facilitate tipping between the wire and the pin.

2. An orthodontic lock pin as defined in claim 1, wherein saidknife-edge is centrally located on said shoulder.

3. An orthodontic lock pin as defined in claim 1, wherein saidknife-edge is mesially located on said shoulder.

4. An orthodontic lock pin as defined in claim 1, wherein saidknife-edge is distally located on said shoulder.

5. An orthodontic lock pin as defined in claim 1, Wherein said shank isrectangular in cross-section.

6. An orthodontic lock pin and bracket appliance com prising a bracketsecured to a tooth band having a body extending outwardly thereof, anocclusal-gingivally extending opening in said body and a mesial-distallyextending notch at the gingival-lingual corner of said body, amesial-distally extending arch wire received in said notch, and a lockpin received in said opening and coacting with said notch to secure thearch wire to said bracket, said lock pin having an elongated body with abuccal-lingual thickness less than the buccal-lingual depth of saidopening at the notch and a head, said head having a lingual extendingshoulder coacting with the band to lock the arch wire in said notch,said lingual extending shoulder having a buccal-lingually extendingknife-edge at the wire facing side for coacting with the wire tofacilitate tipping between the wire and bracket.

7. An orthodontic lock pin and bracket appliance as defined in claim 6,wherein said knife-edge is centrally of said shoulder.

8. An orthodontic lock pin and bracket appliance as defined in claim 6,wherein said knife-edge is along the mesial edge of said shoulder.

9. An orthodontic lock pin and bracket appliance as defined in claim 6,wherein said knife-edge is along the distal edge of said shoulder.

10. An orthodontic lock pin and bracket appliance as defined in claim 6,wherein said pin has a relatively wide mesial-distal dimension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,085,336 4/1963 Kesling 32143,163,933 1/1965 Begg et a1 32-14 3,178,821 4/1965 Kesling 32-14 ROBERTPESHOCK, Primary Examiner.

